Railway-mail catcher and deliverer.



W. T'. SEBRBE. I RAILWAY MAIL GAIGHER AND DELIVERER. APPLICATION FILED JUNEB, 1908. RENEWED APJ E. 5,1909.

Patented Nov. 9-, 1909;

3 SHEETS-BHE-BT 1.

w INV'ENTOR Alzfomey W. T". 'SEBRBE. I RAILWAY MAIL GATGHER AND DBLIVEBBR. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 8, 190a. RENEWED APE/s, 1909.

. I E r 939,557. Patented Nov. 9, 1909..

f I I 3SHEETB-SHEBT 2.

I Q E WJ E At/omey W; T; SEBREE.

RAILWAY MAIL GATGHER AND DELIVERER.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 8, 1903. RENEWED APB. 5,1909.

Patented Nov. 9, 1909.

3 SHEETS-'SHEET 3.

Illlllil.

2 i II N 3 Alla/Hey sTATEsPnrENT snnnnn, or CARROLLTON, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR or ONE-SIXTH r ,J. NGIS JETT, 0NE-SIXTH TO HENRY SMITH, onn-srxrn T0 LEWIS 'rnoM'A, onnsrxrn 'ro DAVID M. Bnrnens, A-ND onn-srx'rn T0 JOSIAH JETT, ALL or cnrmonniron, KENTUCKY.

BAfLWAY-MAIL CATCHER AND DELIVERER.

939,557, Specification of Letters Patent. Patented NOV, 9, 1909, Application filed June 8, 1908, Serial No. 437,347, RenewedApril 5, 1909. Serial 80,488,078. I

To all whom it may concern: swinging frame which carries the netting in known that I, VVYATT T. SEBREE, a a closed position adjacent to the door. 65 citizen of the United States, residing at Reference now being had to the details of Carrollton, 1n the county of Carroll and the drawings by numeral, 1 designates the State of Kentucky, have invented certain body of a car having a door 2 of any suitable new and useful Improvements in Railway- 4 size and fastened to the frame of the door Mall Catchers. and Dehverers; and I do are the plates 3 which are curved to conform 60 hereby declare the following to be a full, to the contour of the frame and have their clear, and exact description of the invenouter ends4 projecting at ight angles from tionprsuch as will enable others skilled in the car and against whlcht ecollars5whioh the art to which it appertains to make and are mounted upon the shaft 6 are adapted he same, reference being had to the to contact to limit their movements in one 65 drawings and to the. figures direction. It will be noted that there are rked thereon, which form; two of said shafts 6 mounted parallel to old-cation. a each other and both preferably above the relates to new and useful transverse center of the middle of the door il 'ngand way. Aframe, preferably of metal and des- 70 llsfilll i A, t in view i-ignated byhumeral 7 of general rectangugeneral ly im rove on an render in or square outline, has projecting portions mo .efiiclent the, apparatus covered by mys, S'apertured to receive a pivotal bar 9 which former patent No. 884,868ofApril14,190 8. is mounted in apertures in 'inte allugs y a The invention comprisesvarious details of upon the collars 5, thus allowing t e frame 7,5

- construction, combinations and arrangeto swing freely thereon. A netting, desigments of parts which will be hereinafter nated by numeral 10 1and made preferably of fully described and then specifically defined linked chains,,is mounted upon said frame V in the appended claims. I and forms a downwardly han g pocket 11 I-illustrate my invention in the @Qgplll v for thereception of the mai bagUor other 80 punying drawin s in which article to be delivered therein. pon the Figure 1 is .rs'pective view of my aplower end of said frame is a lug 12 having paratps applied to a car and to astationary its lower end'contracted-as at 13 and formcatcher, the, paratus being setfj'n readinessing a pivot upon which a bag supporting for operatjoi ig. 2 is a--side elevation of nger 1 4 is mountedi Aspring, designate a portion of ii car to which my improved ynumeral mountcd upon said In an. mail delivery and catching apparatus is apits free end isada'pted to beji'ositione' ad-. plied. Fig. 3 is a, sectional view transversely j jacent to said finger for the -purpose of hol through a portiogl. of the carshowing in 7 mg a. mail ;bag'u on the latter. A locking elevation the mail catching and delivering shell, designated guy numeral '16, telesco es .90 apparatus. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section over the lug 12 andis provided with s ots longitudinally through a portion of a car' 17 in its lowerend which are designed to re.-

i 40 showing in top plan view the mail ,delivcrceive' the sprin :15'and also the finger 14: for

ing and receiving apparatus. Fig;' 5; is a the purpose 0 holding the latter. in a fined detail view in elevation of the upper por- H positlon and allowing the finger to swing 95 tion of the crane upon which thebag is around into. a position opposite to that suspended from the ground. "Fig. 6 is' a shown in Fi 6 of the drawings when it is detail sectional View of the means for su desired to a just the apparatus for deliverporting a bag upon the car. Fig. 7; isa eing mails while the tram is moving in o'ppjotail view of a mail bag supporting apron. .sitesdirection. v Fig. 8 is a detail view showing a movable Mounted uponntheside of the car are the collar upon which the' netting frame is rods 18, one bein mounted preferably upon; mounted. Fig. 9 is a detail per-s ective view either side of t e door. and in alinement showing the means for holding t e bag upon with each other. Said rods arefi'n'ounted in the arm of the frame, and Fig. 10 is a de-- the brackets 19 and are held in (place by tail view showing a latch for holding the means of nuts 20 upon the threads ends of I said rods 18.

' nected to a i and the outer face of the latter so that, when the frame 7 is folded back against the car,

the latter is closed. A double-ended catch,

I of the receiving station.

mounted upon one of A rod 21 is provided with an eye 22 through which the rod '18 passes, and 23 designates a coiled spring which is mounted upon the rod 18 and is interposed between the eye 22 of the rod 21 and the bracket 20 adjacent to the doorway and in which one end of the rod 18 is mounted. The outer end of the rod 21 is pivotally conpin 24 which is mounted upon a bracket arm 25 carried by the frame 7 the purposes of'said rod 21 and thesprin 23 eing to break the impact of the force of the mail bag as it comes against the netting upon the frame 7 as the train moves rapidly and catches a bag to be delivered to the car.

' purpose of bag re'ceivmg apron, designated by numeral 26 and shown in detail in Fig. 7 of the drawings, is provided which is made preferably of metal and has its ends downwardly bent and extending through apertures in the bottom bar 27 of the frame 7, and pins 28 or any other suitable fastening pins are passed through the frame of the apron 26 to hold the latter upon the frame 7. The apron 26 is preferably of a width equal to the distance between the door of the car the edge of the apron will not interfere or come in contact with the door of the car if designated in the drawings by numeral 29, is mounted upon the outer edge of the frame 7 and is adapted to engage acatch or stop uponthe frame of the door for the purpose of holding the frame 7 at its farthest throw toward the car.

A stationary crane 30 is mounted preferably adjacent to a railway track and 18 adapted to support a frame 31 which carries a netting 32, made preferably of chains or any other metallic material, and forms a pocket similar to the pocket carried by the frame 7 upon ,the catch and designed to receive a mail bag to be delivered from a moving car.' Said frame 31 is pivotally mounted upon bracket arms 33 upon said standard. Referring to Fig. 4 of the drawings will be seen two rods 34:, and 35 designates a platform which is fastened to the eagle iron beam 36 forming a portion of a framework A coiled spring 37 is mounted upon each of the rods 34:, and 38 designates a rod having an eye 39 at one end the rods 3% and against which one end of the spring 37 is adapted to bear. An apron 40, substantially similar to the apron 26 before described, is fastened to the frame 31 and afi'ords means which may be employed to receive a mail bag in the event of the bag not being thrown by the momentum of the car into the pocket.

To the upper end of the standard 30 is ad justably mounted a bracket member 41 having slots 42 therein through which the bolts cordingly as it may be desired 43 pass and nuts upon said bolts afford vertically adjusted positions. end of said bracket is fixed a plate 44 upon which a swivel plate 45 is mountcchn detail view of which construction is shown in Fig 5 of the drawings, and a pin or other suitable fastening means, designated by numeral 46, is designed to pass through registering apertures in said plates 14- and 45 for the holding the plate 45 in an adjusted position. A crane, designated by nu To the upper meral 47, is pivotally mounted upon a pin 48 carried by the lugs 49 which project from the plate 45 and lugs 50 also rise from the swiveled platedfi and are spaced apart and serve as guides through which the crane arm passes. A pin 51 is mounted in the lugs. 50 and upon which the crane is adapted to rest when at its lowest limit. Projecting from the pivotal end of said crane is a rod 52 upon which a weight. 53 is adjustably held.

At the free end of the crane 47 is pivotally mounted a mail supporting finger 54, and 55 designates a spring which is fixed to'said finger and is adapted to hold the ring 56 temporarily upon said finger, a cord or rope 57 being connected to the ring 56 and adapted to engage and hold the mail bagfu to be delivered. By the provision of the swivelcd means at the upper end, of the standard 30,

it will be noted that the crane reversed or swung in different positions acappuratus for delivery of mail from cars moving in different directions.

A suitable platform, designated in the drawings by numeral 59, forms a portion of the receiving station and upon which a person may ascend by means of the ladder 60 to the place the mail bag is positioned upon the apparatus to be picked up by a moving train.

to adapt the arm may be The operation of my invention is as follows:vVhen the apparatus is in readiness for receiving and delivering mail, the parts assume the position shovn in Fig. 1 of the drawings, in which the mail bag tobe delivered from the car is suspended upon the linger 14: and the bag to be delivered to the car hung upon the crane in the manner shown. As the mail bag suspended from the frame? upon the car comes in contact with the chain 32, the impact of the force of the bag coming against the same will opernthc pocket formcd by the netting 32 at the upper end of the frame 31 coming in contact with the ring which supports the mail bag will cause the same to be pushed oil' the linger .14. As the bag strikes 31.will swing upon its pivot and the impact of the bag coming forcibly against the netting will be broken by the rod 38 putimg the spring 37 undcr tension. As the spring 37 rccoils, it will cause the frame 31. to swing Q. 1 fore described.

ing from a around toward the platform from which the combination with mail bag may be conveniently removed from i As the netting upon the moving car comes in co the pocket of the netting.

I the mail ba 56 and the cord or rope the force of the the pocket in t e netting "open and 7 and its" otherend sliding sion and,'as the fra 2 the car, the swingin mail bag in the oorway.

When, it is desired to'snift the frame 7 to adapt the apparatus for receiving mail when the car is moving in theoppositedirection,

7 the collars carrying the frame may be moved upon the rods 6 in the opposite edge of the doorway and thebar 18 which is shown pivn Fig. 1 of the drawings is detached-therefrom and a similar bar upon the opposite side of the doorway is pivotally connected at its end to the frame,

otally connected to the frame:

. thus allowing e door to yield under'the impact of receivingthebag in the opposite di-. rection and in a similar manner as hereinbethe provision of the means shown in Fig. 6, the finger 14 sup= porting the mail bag may be swung and held in-such position by slots in the shell 16.;

train in 1s caught from the crane,

anced arm 52 will cause thrown in an uprig away from its normal 0 ht position.

and delivering appameans ntact with suspended from the crane, finger 54 wil be turned upon its pivot. and the frame 7 coming in contact with the ring 57 will releasethe ring from the finger 54 and the impact of bag 58 coming in contact with the netting of the frame .7 will cause upon the car to receive the bag. and, through the medium of the rod 18 which is pivot-ally connected to the swinging edge of the frame upon the rod 18 upon which the coiled spring 23 is mounted, will cause saidspring' to be put under tenswings back toward g. novement of the frame 7 will lee-gradually broken and, uporr'the recoil of the spring 23,;the crane the mail bag will swing backinto the doorway of the car, the catch upon the swinging edge oflfthe frame 7 automatically enga ing a sto or catch upon .the door frame 0 the car,'t us holdin the nettingcarrying the the 3 carrying around of the It will he understood that the frame 31 which is mounted upon the standard 30 may also be adjusted to receive a mail bag comthe opposite direction by simply"detaching the rod 38 in the manner shown in Fig. 4 '-of the drawings and PIV- otally connecting a similar rod osite side ofthe crane. As the mail ba '58 the counteralthe latter to be When the around upon the epa car, a frame pivotally mounted thereon, a nett ng mounted upon said frame, a rod pivoted at one end to said to the car, and mail bag supporting means upon said frame, as set forth.

'2. A mail catching and delivering apparatus for railway mail service comprising, in combination with a car, a frame pivotally mounted thereon, a netting mounted upon said frame, a rod pivoted at one end to said frame, a bar secured to the car, said rod hav- "-ing an eye through which said bar passes nd a spring against which said eye bears gieldingly, and means upon the frame for supporting a mailbag, as set forth.

3. A mail catching and delivering apparatus for railway mail service comprising, in combination with a car, a frame pivotally mounted thereon, a netting mount-ed upon said frame, a rod pivotedat one end to said frame, a bar mounted horizontally upon the having an eye through which said bar passes, a coiled' spring upon said bar and against which said eye is adapted to bear yieldingly, as set forth.

4. A mail catching and delivering appacombination with a car, a frame pivotally mounted thereon, a netting mounted upon said frame, an apron projecting from said frame, a bar pivoted to the swinging edge of said frame and having yielding connection with the car, as set forth. 7

5. A mail catching and delivering apparatus for railway mail service comprising. in combination with a car, a frame pivotally said frame, an apron projecting from said frame, a bar pivoted to the swinging edge of said frame, a bar fastened to the side of the car, said ;rod having an eye through which said bar passes, a spring upon sai bearing yieldingly against said eye, and means upon said frame adapted to support a mailbag, asset forth.

u 6. A mail catching and delivering apparatus as railway mail service comprising, in combination with a car, a frame pivotally mounted thereon, a netting mounted upon to the car, mailbag supporting means upon said frame, and mechanism for holding the frame at the limit of its farthest inner throw toward the car, as set forth.

7. A mail catching combination witha car, a frame-pivotally mounted thereon, a netting mounted upon said frame, a rod pivoted at one end to said "*frau eand its other end connected yieldingly to the car, mail bag sup ortlng meansupon said frame, and a late frame and its other end connected yieldingly .r'atus for railway mail service comprising, 111,

mounted thereon, a netting mounted upon bar and said frame, a rod pivoted at one end to said 7 frame and its other end connected yieldingly' upon said framh -"outer face of the car, one end of said rod and delivering apparatus for railway mailservice comprising, in

, said in combination vto the car, a lug projecting from apertures in said frame,

adapted to engage a. catch upon the door, as

set forth.

8. A mail catching and delivering apparatus for railway mail service comprising, with a car, a frame pivotally mounted thereon, netting mounted upon frame, a rod pivoted at one end to said frame and its other end connected yieldingly to thecar, and adjustable mailbag supporting means upon said frame, as set forth.

9. A mail. catching and delivering apparatus for railway mail service comprising, incombination witl a car, a frame pivotully mounted thereon, a. nettingcmounted upon said frame, a rod pivoted at one end to said frame and its other end connected. yieldingly to the car, a' finger swivelly mounted upon said frame upon which a mail bag is adapted to be supported, and means for holding said finger in an adjusted position, as set forth.

. 10. A mail catchingand delivering apparatus for railway mail service comprising, in combination with a car, a. frame pivotally mounted thereon, a netting mounted upon said frame, a rod pivoted at one end to said frame and its other end connected yieldingly to the car, a finger swivelly mounted upon said frame ,upon wh'icha mail bag is adapted to be supported,a spring positioned adjacent to said finger and designed to hold the mail bag thereon, a. slotted she'll uponthe frame adapted to engage and hold said finger in an adjusted position, as set forth.

11. A mail catching and delivering apparatus for railway mail service comprising, in combination with a car, a frame pivotally mounted thereon, a netting mountedupon said frame, a rod pivoted at one end to said franie umd its other end connected yieldingly said frame, a finger swivelly mounted on said lug, a. shell telescoping over said lug and having slots adapted to engage and hold said finger from turning upon the lug, as setforth.

12. In combinationwith a car, a swinging frame mounted thereon, a netting carried. by said frame, yielding connections between the swinging end of the-frame and the car, means upon the frame for supporting a mail bag, an apron having ends passing through I and means engaging said ends for holding the apron upon the frame, as set forth.

l l l is swivelly mounted, a pivotal new ' 13. In combination With a car, a. swinging frame mounted thereon, a. netting carried by said frame, yielding connections between the swinging end of the frame and the car, means upon the frame for supporting a mail bag, a crane, a standard upon which said crane finger upon said crane upon which a mail bag is adapted to be mounted, and a. pivotal spring-pressed "frame and nctting'therefor mounted upon said standard, as set forth.

1%. In combination with a I frame mounted thereon, a re 1g carried by said frame, yielding connections between the swinging end of the frun'ie and the on r, means upon the frame for supporting a mail bag, a pivotal counter-balanced crane, a standard upon which the latter is swivcled, a. pivotal finger mounted. upon said crane and adapted to support a mailbag, frame pivolally mounted upon the standard, and u. netting uponsaid frame, as set forth.

15. In combination with a car, a swinging frame mounted thereon, a. netting carried by said frame, yielding connections between the swinging end of the frame and the car, means upon the frame for supporting a mail bag, a pivotal counter-balanced crane and standard therefor, said crane being adjust-ably held upon the standard, means upon the crane for supporting the mail bag, and a spring-pressed frame pivotally mounted upon said standard, as set forth.

16.. In combination with a car, a swinging frame mounted thereon, a netting carried by said frame, yielding connections between the swinging end of the frame and the car, means upon the frame for supporting a. mail bag, a. pivotal counter-balanced crane, a standard, a bracket adjustubly mounted upon the standard and swivelly connected to said crane, means upon said crane for supporting a mail bag, a. frame pivotally mounted upon the standard, a rod pivotally connected to the frame upon the standard, and a spring upon the rod bearing yieldingly against said frame upon the standard, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I hereunto allix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

lVYATT 'l. SEBHEE.

car, a swinging Witnesses A. L. Honour,

FRANKLIN H. Honor-I. 

